Iron County register., 1887-02-10
CHAMOIS HUNTING.


| 4 Huntsman's Thrilling Adventure-De-
scriptiou and Habits of the Beautiful
| Little Animal.
perhaps the most difficult hunting
in all Europe said a friend, sis ex-
! perienced in following the chamois.
| They have been chased from time inn
memorial, and now are to be found
only on the most precipitous cliffs,
where only those can venture who are
educated up to it from youth. Some
years ago I spent winter in the heart
of the Alpine country, and made up
my mind that I would have chamois
| pronounced sham-wah) head to deco
rate my study. got it, and also nearly
left my bones in the Alps, and
wouldn't undertake the trip again for
any inducement.
| ''I secured guide, said to be the
Best in the country for that sport. and
one beautiful morning we started out,
ready fora three days tramp, carry
ing only Icy light rifle. My guide said
he had seen q buck several days before
OH, cliff that encircled mountain
about ten miles away, and toward this
spot we started, and by four in the
afternoon we were well up the mount
ain. So, rough was the country and
climbing, that we tied ourselves to-
gether by a long rope, and found that,
even though carrying the traps, my
| guide could still hel me along occa-
sionally.
FINALLY we reached spot where
we could see the cliffs. It was a sheer
| wall of rock three thousand feet high,
, without a sign of a place where a foot
hold could be gained, and utterly un-
| approachable to my inexperienced eyes.
| While we were resting, my companion
| took out his glass. and after looking
| through it for few moments, he grasped
| me by the arm and pointed to the highest
spot on the ledge. Taking the instru-
ment, I soon saw my first live chamois.
1t was fine buck, and could distinct
| ly see the black horns as they projected
| over the edge. as the little creature was
| lying on the very verge of the preci-
| pice, with its head partly hanging over,
| and my guide said that several more
| were probably in the rear
''The sight of the game refreshed US.
! and we commenced the ascent again,
and after an hours hard climbing,
found that there was absolutely no
way of reaching the locality of the
game except by going above, and be-
ing lowered down to a ledge just above
them. This, in a moment of foolhardi-
ness, determined to do, and by max
ing long detour and going up another
thousand feet we found ourselves up
on an irregular plateau, that we esti-
mated must be directly over the ami
mails, and not five hundred yards
| away.
The descent from here to the lower
| ledge that was above the chamois was
! precipitous in the extreme, and every
step was made with the greatest care,
the guide holding back on the rope as
I went ahead.
I'VE were fearful that stone would
| star53 and alarm the herd, but finally
we reached the spot, and looking over
! the edge-that was SO tremendous an
| abyss that the trees in the valley be-
| lova looked like small bushes-I saw
! that by being lowered down upon still
another ledge, [ could, by leaning
over, probably get shot, if in the
| meantime the animals did not make off.
My guide carried a coil of stout cord,
and this lashed firmly about my waist;
| then, bracing against the rocks that
gave me the smallest foothold, 1 COM
| Enenced the descent, foot by foot and
inch by inch, hanging literally by a
| thread over the valley below. | was SO
/ excited by the prospect of getting the
!. game that did not realize the danger,
! and kept on cautiously until | 1reached
/ the ledge. Then. bending my head
| over in the slightest manner possi-
BILE, l saw the game. The buck was
| upon his feet, and near him were sever
al others. / had just 2oom to fire,
which I did literally hanging in, the
air, and joyfully saw my buck fall and
heard the Gathering CT numbers OF
| hoofs as the rest moved off.
'Ishouted ts the gniGse, and he low
cred away; and / soon, was by the ami
| NAL, noble fellow over three feet in
len 9Th. Untying my rope, l fastened
| 1t 2UOuo biA s5afS tiC
| signal, and up he WENT and a few
rscments later, the rspe cams.back-
| ''The face of the, cliff was, covered
with small ledges. from four to six in
ches wide, that used as footholds; and
up these treacheraus stairs | started,
| being sseadied by the guide. who haul
| ed froIa above.
II had almost reached the middle
ridge, when happened 10 look up and
saw .he rope twirling and broken. II
had begun to ehafe, ANA before l could
utter a shout of warning, the guide
ralled again. and the rope parted.
'.For sesond Iexpeeted to fall bac9
over the precipice; but fortunately, the
step at that place was wide enough tc
afford me foothold, and by pressing
against the stony wall. held on.
1.-THE guide at first thought I hat
gone over; but / shouted to him t.
double the rope and toss it over, an,
after several trials succeeded in catch
ing it, though back to and i4n position
that the slightest wind might hav
blown me off. / soon had it tied abou
my waist. and pushing out to reliev
the strain, l went slowly up, an,
finally reached the top in safety, a